Apparatus for conveying metal strip



P. MOROCO ETAL 2,830,809

A ril 15, 1958 APPARATUS FOR CONVEYING METAL STRIP 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 1'7, 1955 l I l I l in I I NVENTORS g, Plwhp Moroco,

John CCMoroao w BY Rabez'hERenkv'zv'fz E ATTORNEYS April 15, 1958 P. MoRoco ETAL 2,830,809

APPARATUS FOR CONVEYING METAL STRIP Filed Jan. 17., 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 UT OK P. MOROCO ET AL APPARATUS FOR CONVEYING METAL STRIP April 15, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jan. 1'7, 1955 INVENTORS Phil John RObez'IiERenkin Moroco,"

Moroao m ATToRzvEYs W APPARATUS FQR CONVEYING METAL STRIP Philip Moroco and John C. Moroco, Farrell, and Robert F. Rankin, Sharon, Pan, assignors to Sharon Steel Corporation, harou, la., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application January 17, 1955, Serial No. 482,016

4 Claims. (Cl. 271--2.2)

This invention relates to an apparatus for continuously processing strip material. More particularly it pertains to a mechanism for conveying metal strip into a continuous process from an intermittent source without injury to the metal strip.

Generally, the continuous processing of metal strip requires that the strip be fed at a constant rate into the processing apparatus. For example, in continuous annealing of metal strip, the strip must move through an annealing furnace continuously and at a substantially constant speed. Otherwise, the strip is overannealed or under-annealed in localized sections. For uniformity of product it is necessary that the metal strip move through the processing apparatus in an uninterrupted manner.

Ordinarily, metal strip is delivered to a heat treating furnace in separate coils or reels which are fed through the furnace consecutively. Before the trailing end of one coil of strip enters the furnace, it is secured to the leading end of the next coil, preferably by welding. Inasmuch as the welding operation is time consuming, the intermittent stopping of the strip in the furnace would result in irregular processing unless means were introduced to provide for continuous strip movement.

To convert the intermittent feeding of separate coils of strip into a continuous process a slackproducer is used. A slack producer is a mechanism for accumulating a reserve supply or" strip between two or more retraceable rolls, the reserve supply being accumulated between the rolls as the coil strip uncoils. During the welding operation, the reserve supply of strip between the rolls is payed out through the processing apparatus until the welding is completed, at which time the retraceable rolls return to their normally spaced position whereby a reserve supply of strip is accumulated in anticipation of the next welding operation.

In the past it has been the practice to use slack producers which comprise a vertical steel framework in order to conserve floor space, because metallic strip is commonly heat treated in a horizontal furnace which occupies considerable floor space.

The slack producer involved in the present invention functions in horizontal, rather than a vertical, plane. It is compactly disposed above the elongated heat treating furnace involved, thereby occupying no additional floor space.

When the horizontal slack producer is fully extended to provide a maximum reserve of strip, a continuous loop of strip is produced consisting of upper and lower portions or passes. A disadvantage of this has been that the upper pass is freely hanging and sags to contact the lower portion or pass of strip as it moves through the slack producer. This causes considerable surface scratching of the strip which is objectionable and results in poor quality products.

Accordingly, we have developed a conveyor system consisting of spaced rollers over which the strip material rides and which eliminates the sagging of the upper pass of strip material. The conveyor rollers are connected,

nite States Patent 6 preferably at equally spaced intervals, by collapsible or flexible means, such as chains, so that the rollers may be fully extended or collapsed when the slack producer is in the extended or collapsed positions, respectively. Thus, a number of conveyor rollers are provided which are extendable-at spaced intervals to support the strip in order to prevent its sagging into contact with and scratching of the lower portion of the strip.

It is, therefore, a general object of this invention to provide a conveyor for strip metal which prevents contact between the various passes of the strip moving continuously through a slack producer.

It is another object of this invention to provide a slack producer which prevents the formation of surface scratches in the strip material as it moves through a slack producer.

Finally, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved apparatus for the manufacture of strip steel which accomplishes the foregoing desiderata in an inexpensive manner and with simplicity of maintenance and operation.

These and other objects and advantages apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description and claims may be attained, the stated results achieved, and the described difliculties overcome, by the discoveries, principles, apparatus, parts, combinations, subcombinations, and elements which comprise the invention, the nature of which are set forth in the following state-' ments, a preferred embodiment of which-illustrative of the best mode in which the applicants have contemplated applying the principles-is set forth in the following description, and which are particularly and distinctly pointed out and set forth in the appended claims forming part hereof.

The nature of the improved apparatus of the present invention may be stated in general terms as. including in a horizontal slack producer for feeding strip material con tinuously from an intermittent source, the slack producer having a stationary, horizontal guide roll and a second parallel guide roll movable horizontally over a retraceable path perpendicular to the stationary roll, a strip conveyor system including a plurality of strip-supporting rollers between the stationary and second guide rolls, adjacent rollers being interconnected by a pair of chains, the roller nearer the stationary guide roll being chain-connected to a fixed body, the roller nearer the second guide roll being chain-connected thereto, and the rollers being collapsible and expandable with respect to each other when the guide rolls are near and remote, respectively, from each other.

By way of example, a preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein:

Fig. l is a diagrammatic side elevational view of the improved apparatus for conveying strip metal between the retraceable members of a slack producer, showing the slack producer in the fully extended position;

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic side elevational view of the apparatus of Fig. 1, showing the slack producer in the collapsed position;

Fig. 3 isan enlarged, fragmentary, side elevational view of the slack producer car and some of the strip conveyor rolls;

Fig. 4 is a vertical, end view of the slack producer H car taken on the line 44 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged, sectional view, partly in elevation, taken on the line 55 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view of the conveyor guide mechanism taken on the line 66 of Fig.3; and

Fig. 7 is an enlarged, sectional view showing the structure opposite that of Fig. 5.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the various figures of the drawings.

As shown in Fig. 1, metal strip 1 moves from a metal strip coil mounted on an uncoiler 2 and a sequence of devices including a pair of driven pinch rolls 3, a second pair of pinch rolls 4, a shear stand 5, and a normally inoperative welding device 6. From there the strip metal 1 passes between another pair of pinch rolls 7 and then through an acid tank 8 which may be used for cleaning the surface of the metal, if desirable.

The strip metal 1 then passes over a pair of guide rolls 9 and 10 from where it is directed over a strip conveyor means, generally indicated at 11, to a guide roll 12 that is mounted on a horizontally movable slack producer car 13. From the slack producer car 13 the strip metal 1 passes in the reverse direction over a series of rolls 14 and over a tension control device including idler rolls 15 and 16 and a tension roll 17.

The strip metal 1 continues to move from the tensioning device through a continuously processing apparatus, such as an elongated horizontal furnace, generally indicated at 18, which is located at a level below the slack producer car 13 and the rolls 14. At the opposite end of the furnace 18 the strip metal 1 passes over a guide roll 19 and into a pot or container 20 of suitable strip metal coating material, such as zinc or lead, wherein it is guided over a roll 21. Upon leaving the container 20, the strip metal 1 again passes over a guide roll 22 to a coiler 23.

In addition to the uncoiler 2 there is provided a second uncoiler 2a which is situated between the pinch rolls 3 and 4. The uncoilers 2 and 2a are used alternately for supplying the metal strip 1 in a continuous manner. Either uncoiler 2 or 2a is constantly paying olf the metal strip 1. As the trailing end of each coil of strip 1 passes through the shear stand 5, the end of the strip is cut preferably along a line perpendicular to the metal strip axis. It then moves to the welding device 6, preferably a spot welder, where said trailing end is secured to the front end of the next coil.

Inasmuch as the foregoing welding operation consumes time, it is necessary to provide a slack producer which operates during the interim to provide a continuous movement of metal strip 1 through the furnace 18. During normal operation when the metal strip 1 is uncoiling the slack producer is in its fully extended position with the l slack producer car 13 disposed in the position shown in Fig. 1. In this position a loop of excess metal strip 1 is provided for movement through the furnace during the welding operation.

During the welding operation the strip metal 1 stops moving. Simultaneously, the slack producer car 13 moves to the left, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, to reduce the length of the loop of excess metal strip 1, causing that portion of the metal strip 1 forming the loop to move through the furnace at the same rate of speed that it normally moves. Upon completion of the welding operation, the slack producer car 13 stops and again returns to the position shown in Fig. 1 to which position it is drawn by means of a winch'24 having a cable 25, the end of which is secured to the car 13. The winch 24 is preferably electrically synchronized to be actuated either to permit the car 13 to move to the left to the position shown in Fig. 2, or to pull the car to the right to the position shown in Fig. 1.

The'car 13 is mounted on wheels 26 which traverse a track 27 extending across the top of the furnace 18. A limit switch 28 is provided on the track 27 near the entry end of the furnace 18 and a second limit switch 29 is provided at the opposite end of the track near the winch 24. The limit switches 28 and 29 are electrically connected to the winch 24 for stopping or actuating the winch in either direction.

In its fully extended position, as shown in Fig. 1, the

. car 13-provides a reserve loop of metal strip 1- which extends in upper and lower portionsor passes across the top of the furnace 18. Normally, the upper portion travels to the right while the lower portion travels to the left, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. In the extended position, the weight of the metal strip 1, if unsupported, causes the upper portion or pass to sag between the guide roll 10 and the car 13, until the upper portion contacts the lower portion.

It was found that considerable surface scratches were produced in the metal strip 1 resulting in an inferior final product. Accordingly, the slack producer is provided with the strip conveyor 11 which is disposed between the guide roll it and the car 13 to prevent sagging of the upper portion.

In Figs. 3-6 the strip conveyor 11 and the slack producer car 13 are shown in greater detail. The slack producer car 13 includes a frame member 30 on which the wheels 26 are mounted. The frame member 30 supports an upright member 31 and an inclined member 32 which extends between the ends of the members 30 and 31. Between the members 31 and 32 is a reinforcing member 33 that supports the lower end of a vertical brace 34, the upper portion of which is secured to the inclined member 32. The brace 34 supports a vertical roll 35, the ends of which are journalled at the ends of the brace. At the top of the upright member 31 is a bumper shaft 36 on the end of which is mounted a resilient bumper member 37. At the lower end of the upright member 31 is a roller bracket 38. The foregoing members and parts, as shown in Fig. 3, constitute one side of car 13. The other side consists of similar members and parts which will be given duplicate numbers with the letter a appended (Fig. 4).

The roll 12 is mounted between the frame members 30 and 30a in bearings 39 and 39a, respectively. Likewise, an idler roll 40 is mounted (Fig. 4) between the brackets 38 and 38a. In addition, a roller 40' is mounted between the upright members 31 and 31a at the upper ends thereof between bearings 41 and 41a.

As shown in Fig. 6, a strip centering device generally indicated at 42, is disposed between the frame members 30 and 30a and includes a pair of laterally movable, vertical guides 43 and 43a having journal sleeve portions 44 and 44a, respectively. The sleeve portions 44 and 44a are slidably disposed on transverse rods 45 and 46, the ends of which are secured to the frame members 30 and 30a. The rods 45 are secured to the upper side of the members 30 and 30a and the rods 46 are secured to the lower side thereof. Each guide 43 and 43a is provided with a screw portion 47 and 47a which engage a screw shaft 48 that'is journalled on opposite sides at the top of the frame members 30 and 30a. Each half of the screw shaft 48 is reversely threaded and one end of the shaft is provided with a wheel 49 for turning the shaft when necessary to accommodate wider or narrower metal strip 1. As shown in Fig. 6, the opposite edges of the strip 1 are engaged by the guides 43 and 43a whereby the axis of the strip is centered in the car 13.

The strip conveyor 11 includes a pair of spaced tracksupporting members 50 and 50a (Figs. 3 and 4) which extend substantially above the tracks 27 and 27a respectively. The members 50 and 50a are secured to suitable overheadsupport beams 51. In turn, the track-supporting members 50 and 50a secure a pair of overhead tracks 52 and 52a.

Moreover, the strip conveyor 11 includes a plurality of strip-supporting rollers or rolls 53 that are journally mounted at opposite ends to hanger plates 54 and 54a (Figs. 5 and 7). The upper ends of the plates 54 and 54a are suspended from two pairs of wheels 55 and 55a (Figs. 3, 5, and 7) which ride in the overhead tracks 52 and 52a. Each roll 53 is thereby movable along the tracks within limits independently of the other rolls 53.

Furthermore, adjacent hanger plates 54 are connected by flexible members, such as chains 56, the ends of which are secured to the hanger plates 54 by means of pins 57. Likewise, adjacent'plates 5411 are similarly connected by chains 56a; Each chain 56 is provided at its center with a counterweight 58 that causes the chain to hang, as shown in Fig. 3. Opposite ends of the plates 54 are provided with bumper members 59.

In operation, the rolls 53 sustain the metal strip 1 at the upper level of the loop formed by the slack producer and thereby prevent the upper portion from sagging into contact with the lower portion.

As shown in the drawings, the metal strip 1 passes from the guide roll (Fig. 1) over the rolls 53. From the rolls 53 the metal strip 1 passes over the idler roll 40 at the top of the slack producer car 13 (Fig. 3) from which the strip passes downwardly and around roll 12. The strip 1 then passes between the guides 43 and 43a and over the idler roll 40 to the rolls 14 above the furnace 18 between the tracks 27 and 27a. As was described above, the metal strip 1 then passes over and around the idler roll (Figs. 1 and 2) and subsequently through the furnace 1S and the container to the recoiler 23.

In the extended position of the car 13 (Fig. 1), the rolls 53 are also extended throughout the length of the overhead tracks 52 and 52a. The chains 56 and 56a sustain the rolls 53 in spaced relationship with respect to each other. As shown in Fig. l, the chain 56 extending from the roll 53 nearest the guide roll 10 is secured at its opposite end to a bracket 60 so that the extended rolls 53 are chain-connected to the left end of the strip conveyor 11, as shown in Fig. 1. Likewise, as shown in Fig. 3, the end of the chain 56 extending from the roll 53 at the right end of the strip conveyor 11, is secured to the upper end of the slack producer car 13.

Accordingly, as the car 13 moves to the right, i. e., to the extended position, the chain 56 connected to the car 13 is drawn from the suspended position of Fig. 3 to a taut position whereupon the roller 53 is drawn to the right with the car 13. Continued movement of the car 13 in the same direction causes all of the chain-connected rolls 53 to be extended at spaced intervals equal to the lengths of the chains 56.

During the welding process when the slack producer car 13 moves to the left, as shown in Fig. 3, the rolls 53 are moved by the car in the same direction. At the leftmost position of the car 13 (Fig. 2), the rolls 53 are collected in the collapsed position with the chains 56 suspended between the rolls. Contact between the car 13 and the adjacent roll 53 is made by the bumper members 37 and 37a at the top of the car with the hanger plates 54 and 54a between which said roll 53 is mounted. Also, contact between adjacent plates 54 and 54a is made through their respective bumper members 59 and 59a.

As was stated above, the winch 24 functions to pull the slack producer car 13 to the extended position and to hold it there. During the welding operation, when the trailing end of the coil is retained at the welding stand 6, the car 13 is pulled to the position of Fig. 2 from that of Fig. 1 by the metal strip 1. At such time the winch 24 is released so that the forces that move the strip 1 through the furnace 18 pull upon the lower portion or pass of the loop, causing the car 13 to move leftward, as shown in Fig. l, as the strip in the upper portion or pass moves through the car and subsequently along the lower portion and into the furnace 18.

Thus, the improvements of the present invention provide a new apparatus for handling strip metal by which difliculties of prior manufacture are overcome; by which objectionable surface scratches are avoided in the final product; which solves a long-existing problem without extensively redesigning the original apparatus; and which obtains the new results indicated.

In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity, clearness and understanding, but no unnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirements of the prior art; because such words are used for descriptive purposes herein and not for the purpose of limitation and are intended to be broadly construed.

Moreover, the invention is not limited to the exact apparatus shown because the particular arrangement of the parts may be varied to provide other structural embodiments without'departing from the scope of the present invention.

Having now described the features of the invention, the construction and operation of a preferred embodiment of improved apparatus, the details of the steps of the improved method, and the advantageous, new and useful results obtained thereby, the new and useful inventions, methods, steps, procedures, operations, apparatus, parts,

elements and combinations, discoveries, principles, and

reasonable mechanical equivalents thereof, obvious to those skilled in the art, are set forth in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In slack producer construction for continuously feeding strip material from an intermittent source to continuously operating strip-treating equipment, a slack producer car, a pair of horizontal guide rolls, one of the rolls having a stationary axis and the other roll being mounted on said car, the car and other roll being movable to and from the one roll in a generally horizontal path above the strip-treating equipment, conveyor support means for the strip including a plurality of rollers, means mounting the rollers for movement to and fro between the guide rollers including roller support members journalling the ends of each roller, track means and means suspending said support members from the track means independent of the support-member-roller-end-journals, and flexible members connecting the support members and car for moving the rollers successively away from each other when the car moves away from the one roll.

2. In slack producer construction for continuously feeding strip material from an intermittent source to continuously operating strip-treating equipment, a slack producer car, a pair of horizontal guide rolls, one of the rolls having a stationary axis and the other roll being mounted on said car, the car and other roll being movable to and from the one roll in a generally horizontal path above the strip-treating equipment, conveyor support means for the strip including a plurality of rollers, means mounting the rollers for movement in a path above the path of movement of the car and to and fro between the guide rolls including roller support members journalling the ends of each roller, track means, and means suspending said support members from the track means independent of the support-member-roller-end-journals, spacer chains interconnecting all of the support members and the car for moving the rollers successively away from each other when the car moves away from the one roll, and the roller support members having bumper members engageable to maintain the rollers spaced from each other when the car is moved toward the one roll.

3. In slack producer construction for continuously feeding strip material from an intermittent source to continuously operating strip-treating equipment, a slack producer car, a pair of horizontal guide rolls, one of the rolls having a stationary axis and the other roll being mounted on said car, the car and other roll being movable to and from the one roll in a generally horizontal path above the strip-treating equipment, conveyor support means for the strip including a plurality of rollers;

means mounting the rollers for movement to and fro between the guide rolls including roller support members suspending and journalling the ends of each roller, track means extending above the strip-treating equipment, and spaced wheels on each support member above and independent of each roller-end-journal engaging and suspending the support members from the track means; chains connecting the support members and car for moving the rollers successively away from each other when the car moves away from the one roll; and the roller support members having bumper means engageable I to maintain the rollers" spaced from each other when the carismove'd toward the one roll.

4 In slack producer construction for continuously feeding strip material from an intermittent source to continuously operating strip-treating equipment, a slack producer car, a pair of horizontal guide rolls, one of the rolls having a stationary axis and the other roll being mounted on said car, the car and other roll being movable to and from the one roll in a generally horizontal path above the strip-treating equipment, conveyor support means for the strip including a plurality of rollers, means mounting the rollers for movement to and fro between the guide rolls including rolle'r support members journalling the ends of each roller, a pair of overhead tracks extending above the strip-treating equipment, two laterally spaced pairs of wheels on each support member engaging one of thetr'ac'ks suspending the roller support members from the tracks independent of the roller end journals, spacer chains connecting tlt support' members and car for moving the rollers successively away from each other when the car moves away from said one roll, and the roller support members having bumper members engageable to maintain the rollers out of contact.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Mursch' Jan. 10, 1950 

